KUALA LUMPUR – The Control of Smoking Product for Public Health Bill 2023 which is set to be tabled on Tuesday is expected to include new amendments involving aspects such as compounds and the inclusion of educational enforcement, said Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
Speaking during an interview with members of the media recently, the health minister said the amendments for the bill, also known as the Generational Endgame Bill, and which will be revealed in full detail during the current Dewan Rakyat sitting, had gone through various stages of scrutiny from the special select committee on health and the cabinet, where it finally received the green light.
“The amendments which I cannot fully reveal in their entirety involve the aspects for compound, where we have proposed educational enforcement (for certain offences).
“That is something that we would table and open to debate on (at the Dewan Rakyat),” she said.
Asked to explain “educational enforcement”, Dr Zaliha cited an example, whereby a juvenile caught smoking would be referred for counselling sessions or be admitted to the Health Ministry’s JomQuit clinic, instead of punitive punishment.
The GEG Bill proposes that those born in 2007 and subsequent years will be prohibited from smoking, buying or possessing any type of smoking product, including e-cigarettes or vape products, even after reaching the age of 18.
She said the bill was necessary to control and prevent people from suffering from e-cigarette- or vaping-use-associated lung injury (Evali) as it would cost the government RM150,000 to treat a single Evali patient for 12 days.
“The ministry has spent about RM6.2 billion to treat patients with smoking-related diseases in 2022. We are expecting that it could go up to RM8.7 billion (by 2030),” she said.
On another matter, Dr Zaliha said the Health Ministry’s digitalisation process is at 29% at present, with plans to double the target by next year.
“Digitalisation initiatives – including the implementation of electronic medical records (EMR), telehealth, health information exchange and integrating the ecosystem to the MySejahtera app – are pivotal components of our health white paper and hold great significance in modernising our healthcare system.
“I wish to emphasise the importance of digitalisation in healthcare service delivery.
“The adoption of EMR systems allows for efficient and secure management of patient records.
“It reduces paperwork, minimises the risk of errors, and facilitates seamless information sharing among healthcare providers.
“This translates to quicker and more accurate diagnoses, streamlined treatment plans and improved patient care,” she said.
So far, a pilot has been launched using MySejahtera for tuberculosis care for daily observation therapy using telehealth, termed as video observed therapy, where health personnel monitor medication intake virtually.
“Inclusion of this service allows patients to schedule and initiate telehealth consultations, thereby helping patients who face geographical barriers or have limited mobility to ‘reach’ the clinic every day during their TB treatment,” she said.
With the impact of digitalisation already visible on ground, she said since its launch on January 1, more than 3.8 million appointments have been booked through MySejahtera for government health and dental clinics nationwide, reducing overcrowding and wait times.
“Digitalisation enhances our ability to collect and analyse healthcare data. This valuable information can be used to identify trends, track disease outbreaks and tailor healthcare strategies to specific community needs.
“It supports evidence-based decision-making, which is essential in providing effective healthcare services,” she added. – October 8, 2023